Published on February 9, 2011 by Susanne Babbel, Ph.D., M.F.T. in Somatic Psychology

Comfort, nourishment, shelter, and care should be things that a child can take for granted. Unfortunately, child neglect is a rampant problem that statistically exceeds child physical and sexual abuse in the U.S. 2006 reporting statistics by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services concluded that:

Children in the U.S. were abused or neglected at the rate of 1.23% Out of that number, 64.2% experienced neglect 1,530 children died of abuse or neglect that year Roughly half the victims were of each sex, with only a slightly higher incidence of neglect victims being female1

Child neglect affects too many childrenThe National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System defines neglect as "a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provide needed, age-appropriate care although financially able to do so or offered financial or other means to do so." (USDHHS, 2007). Neglect is a unique type of trauma because only children (and, in some cases, dependant adults) are susceptible. In order to experience neglect, a person must be reliant on others for their physical and emotional wellbeing. This vulnerability means that victims of child neglect are predisposed to experiencing related trauma (including PTSD) later in life.

Types of Child Neglect:

Physical Neglect - Children need the same basic necessities as everyone: food, clothing, shelter. However, they are reliant on others to provide these necessities. If a provider is not ensuring that their trustee is given these essentials, it is considered neglect. Physical neglect might mean that a parent is neglecting to provide adequately nutritious meals consistently, or it might mean that a parent has literally abandoned their child.

Educational neglect - Failure to provide a child with adequate education in the form of enrolling them in school or providing adequate home schooling.

Medical neglect - American Humane.org cites Medical Neglect as "the failure to provide appropriate health care for a child (although financially able to do so), thus placing the child at risk of being seriously disabled or disfigured or dying." Of all the types of neglect, this is the trickiest to diagnose because religious or financial factors can play an adverse role in a child receiving appropriate medical care.

According to Child Welfare.gov, child neglect can lead to problems as an adult which may include:

Physical consequences - such as failure of the brain to develop properly due to malnutrition and other medical issues; also, poor physical health in general which can lead to an array of problems later on

The dangers of neglect can be dire for a child's healthy development. Without proper care, children are in danger of not developing properly due to malnutrition, physical injury, or illness. But the hidden danger of child neglect - the one that may not be apparent for many years but which can stick with a person for their lifetime - is the risk of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that can affect them psychologically and emotionally in the long-term.

The psychological principle of attachment theory proposes that children become psychologically attached to their caregivers (and particularly their mothers) as infants in order to establish a vital sense of security. In nature's terms, keeping a child attached to the mother increases its chances of survival. So it stands to reason that being neglected is an affront to the "healthy, normal" sense of attachment that nature desires for children to have with their caregiver(s).

According to extensive research done by psychologist Mary Ainsworth in the 1970's (published in her groundbreaking study Strange Situation), "What happens to children who do not form secure attachments? Research suggests that failure to form secure attachments early in life can have a negative impact on behavior in later childhood and throughout the[ir] life. Children diagnosed with oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD), or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently display attachment problems, possibly due to early abuse, neglect, or trauma." In other words, children who experience neglect early in life may be at risk for a lifetime of trouble attaching properly in relationships.

Another reason that child neglect can lead to such a wide array of development and psychological problems is that children (particularly, infants) need a certain amount and type of input for their brain development to proceed normally through it's various growth states. When deprived of appropriate input and stimulation, the brain may not develop normally, and this can affect brain functioning later on, which can affect an individual in many ways.

Not all children who experience neglect will experience long-term reactions. Factors determining whether the effects of abuse will be long-term include:

The child's age when the neglect occurred The type of neglect The frequency and duration

I agree with the sentiment. I have no doubt that at least .7% of all children are neglected. Many individuals are both abused and neglected. However, This would mean that more than 400,000 children a year are neglected. And the impact of neglect can be as great as as the impact of abuse.

Almost 1 million girls (25% of all girls are sexually abused before they are 18) are sexually abused every year. An additional 300,000 boys (16% of all boys are sexually abused before they are 18)each year. The difference in the data is based of the national Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (CANDS) only deals with reported cases.

We all know that sexual abuse is under reported. Not just children but rape and sexual assault on adults only report about 10% of the time.

This is all part of the basic reality, in the United States,and maybe in the world, the powerless are violated, betrayed and abused. The children are the most powerless and the least likelyto receive meaningful and helpful assistance or resources.

I would point out that this means more than 1/3 of all children are having these experiences, and we haven't counted the individuals who are physically abused. And our solution is to increase the prison population and reduce mental health resources.

This discussion makes me so angry I could spit. So instead I will try to go to sleep.

People often say "abuse and neglect" together in one phrase, but I am afraid too often people think neglect is the lesser of the two.

Neglect can be just as harmful as abuse, and in my opinion deserves harsher sentences than it usually gets. Allowing a child to starve to death or not getting them needed medical treatment is just as deadly as pointing a gun in their face.

Thank you for reminding us of this. Lets remember those who suffer every day of their adult life because of childhood neglect. Lets also remember those who never made it out of childhood because of neglect.

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I come here now, and I see lots of anger.I don't blame anyone for that. It is perfectly understandable.But it is not healthy for me.So I'm going somewhere else.

Interesting question having survived abused and neglect from birth and knowing that there were 2 adults in the home when I was getting abused, the woman who gave birth to me sleeping in the other room while el Diablo was beating and raping me and my cousin, wow, it’s worse! Way worse, growing up knowing your mother doesn’t care if you live or die, just don’t embarrass us in front of the neighbors. For me anyway accepting that I have always been uncared for let alone loved has been much tougher then my abuse, that bitch still lives, so fitting, she’s all alone in the world now, karma’s a bitch, hugh? I saw her back in December; one of her first comments was “let me see” (your wrists); wtf? And then for Christmas she buys me a beautiful Viking pro 10” chef’s knife? See not only doesn’t she care but in her heart she hates me and wishes me nothing but ill will. See I can understand the evil of el Diablo, not really but I have to right? Her just not being there ever “letting nature take its course” I’ll never understand ever, how can a mother just turn her back on her own child? I’ll never understand ever why she wishes to destroy me so?

Cee

Maybe I should buy her a coffin for her birthday?

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"it has never yet been discovered how to make man unknow his knowledge, or unthink his thoughts"

I have to agree with cos that "karma's a bitch" and it's provided me with much schadenfreude...especially the longer she lives.

Mine was an adopted mother, multiple marriages, self-absorbed, and did whatever she could - even geographically - to keep me away from my adopted Dad. I cut her off years ago and was quite clear about the reasons. Her "public" take is that I "broke her heart." Oh, it's a load of crap. I'd expect nothing less. And I don't care.

But with the loss of H#3, her step children on to her act and my disclosure to them, she's pretty isolated now, except for her drunk nephew who hopes to cash in when she kicks the bucket. She likes him because he can be manipulated. She despises me because, for all intents, I'm immune.

Yes, her neglect (physical, verbal and emotional abuse) was literally criminal. In fact, by any standard, women like that today are put in jail and their children taken away from them.

As I've been able to parse those years, her neglect damaged me just as much as the CSA at the hands of my high school guidance counselor.

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